SXSW 2011 w/ Motel Motel

We're excited to announce a tour for this March with Motel Motel. We'll be making the great indie migration down the east coast on our way to SXSW. And then after a few hopefully warm days in Austin, we'll weave our way back through the Midwest. There are still a few dates to get added, but here's what we got so far...

WED 3/02: NEW HAVEN: BAR

THU 3/03: BOSTON: TT the Bear's 

FRI 3/04: NEW YORK: Cake Shop 

SAT 3/05: BROOKLYN: Cameo 

SUN 3/06: PHILLY: Kung Fu Necktie

TUE 3/07: BALTIMORE: Ottobar 

WED 3/08: RICHMOND: Strange Matter 

FRI 3/09: RALEIGH: Slim's 

SAT 3/10: BIRMINGHAM: The Nick 

SUN 3/11: NASHVILLE: The Rutledge 

TUE 3/12: HOT SPRINGS: Maxine's

WED 3/16: AUSTIN: SXSW

THU 3/17: AUSTIN: SXSW

FRI 3/18: AUSTIN: SXSW

SAT 3/19: AUSTIN: SXSW

SUN 3/20: AUSTIN: SXSW

THU 3/24: MINNEAPOLIS: 400 Bar 

FRI 3/25: CHICAGO: Beauty Bar 

SAT 3/26: ROCK ISLAND: Daytrotter

TUE: 3/29: PITTSBURGH: Brillobox

Check back here for more dates soon.

Tracking Finished

After three days of work and a solid 20 hours of tracking, we have finished laying down the drums, bass and rhythm guitar for the album. Tomorrow, the fun part begins, as we get to start turning the recordings into songs and really start experimenting within the framework we have set for ourselves.

Another cell phone pic...

Eli on the board. Ryan watching on.

Stepping Into New, Improved

After a week of rehearsing and shows in Oakland and Santa Cruz over the last weekend, we finally got into the studio this morning. We spent the first half of the day trying out different amps, setting up the drums and getting all the sounds we were looking for. And after lunch, we finally got to the fun part. Although, six hours later, it was a little less fun and we were a lot more tired.

Some cell phone pics...

Ryan checking out some organs.

Nicholasdude testing the bass drum.

Three Days. Three Thousand Miles. California.

Once you pass forty hours in a car in the span of three days, you start to go a little stir crazy. Actually, you may start to go a little stir crazy before that. It's also pretty incredible to go from one coast to the other in a manner of days. Driving through Wyoming in the winter is like driving through the clouds, with snow swirling across the highway. The Great Salt Lake was so covered in fog that we barely saw it.

Wyoming:



There's also a lot of time to pass in the car, which we did with an audio book I'm not allowed to mention and a lot of music. Notable albums include:

Mission of Burma - The Obliterati
The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic
Paul McCartney - Ram
Husker Du - New Day Rising
Paul Simon - Paul Simon
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
David Byrne - Grown Backwards
The Kinks - Muswell Hilbillies
Queen - A Day at the Races

Happy 2011 - So Much To Do!

2010 was a great year for us and we'd be remiss not to thank all the people who helped us along the way. We've crashed on more couches and floors than we can count while on tour and we've been lucky enough to get to share our music with people all over the country.

Now, 2011 is here and we're ready to start making a new album. Tomorrow, we hit the road for Oakland, CA where we'll be working with producer Eli Crews at his New, Improved Studios. It's going to be a long drive, but once we put on the smooth sounds of Roy Dotrice, we'll be in sunny California before we know it.